The last proprietary governor of Maryland, Sir Robert Eden (1741-1784) furnished his Annapolis mansion with expense and care in the hopes of making it the political and social center of the colony. The result was later described as “the best house in Annapolis,” but at the cost of considerable financial debt to the governor. Separated as a result of the American Revolutionary War, this presentation will examine the relationship of Robert Eden to his possessions and make a case for the place of objects in the historian’s understanding of the Loyalist experience.

The last proprietary governor of Maryland, Sir Robert Eden (1741-1784) furnished his Annapolis mansion with expense and care in the hopes of making it the political and social center of the colony. The result was later described as “the best house in Annapolis,” but at the cost of considerable financial debt to the governor. Separated as a result of the American Revolutionary War, this presentation will examine the relationship of Robert Eden to his possessions and make a case for the place of objects in the historian’s understanding of the Loyalist experience.